The Other Side
by thehalfblondeprincess
Summary: Samcedes. Spoilers: up to "Heart". Non-canon, please read & review!


_Bittersweet memories_

_That is all I'm taking with me._

_So, goodbye, please don't cry._

_We both know I'm not what you, you need._

Mercedes looked at Sam for the first time since she had begun the song she was singing for him. He wasn't even looking up. She remembered when he used to spend all his free time just gazing at her, so in love. Dammit, she didn't just want him back, she wanted her life back. She wanted the summer love they had, the close bond she hadn't felt with anyone else, not even Kurt. They hadn't just been a couple. They were each other's best friends. She felt so stupid for giving it up. She had run to Shane when Sam left, instead of waiting for him like she promised. He did come back, just like he promised. But Shane had patched the hole in her heart, and she was reliant on him, not Sam. As the music built up, a depressing, but true thought crossed her mind. 'He's gone. I'll never get another chance.' Mercedes knew she couldn't break right now, not in front of New Directions. She loved and trusted them all, even Puck, but no one will ever see Mercedes Jones cry. It was almost time for the big finale. Sam looked up and their eyes met. "Take me back to the summer!" she wanted to scream.

Listening to Mercedes was still one of Sam Evans' favorite things, even though his heart was breaking from her song choice. Sam bent his head and took a deep breath. _Man, don't cry. Don't. Don't do it. _He couldn't help himself. His eyes welled up and he wanted to break down and sob. He choked it back and tried to take his mind away from the song. His mind strayed back to summer. The hours they had spent together just being happy. Sam never had wanted to leave her. He didn't have a choice, Stevie and Stacey needed him. He asked her to wait for him, promised he'd be back. She had looked into his eyes and swore she would. When he came back to McKinley, he had expected her to run into his arms with joy. He had been sadly disappointed. Someone else had stolen her heart. She promised. She had fucking promised! He looked up to watch her finish the song, and it was a miracle he didn't cry out right then to whatever higher power was listening, "Take me back to the summer!" Her gaze locked on him as she sang:

"_And I, will always love you…"_

But Mercedes didn't sound the way she had meant to. She had slowed down, everything had. It was eerie, the piano was being played so much slower, and Brittany's ponytail twirling had gone into slow-motion. She tried to turn her head, look at Mr. Schue and ask what was going on, but she was frozen. A cry of panic leapt into her throat. Her eyes were still locked on Sam's, and he wasn't moving either. His movements weren't slow like everyone else's; they had stopped just like hers.

Sam felt a shift in the air at the same time. Mercedes had stopped singing, but no one else seemed to notice. No one seemed to notice anything, actually. He felt odd, but he couldn't place it. It was like he was being lifted into the air. His line of vision didn't go up as he felt himself do; it whited out.

What was going on? Mercedes felt like she was spinning like a top. She couldn't see anything, and wondered if she had somehow fainted in front of everyone. Then she felt a sensation like she was being dragged down. Her body felt different, somehow. It was unfamiliar and her mind was racing. Her vision started to clear, but what she saw certainly wasn't what she had expected. She was looking at herself.

Sam had touched down, but was now looking out at the New Directions. How did he get here? And where was Mercedes? His eyes flicked around the group and there was someone where he had been sitting. Someone who looked a hell of a lot like he did. Sam ran out the door. He wasn't running like he was used to, though. His weight was distributed in some pretty weird places. Geez, he needed to splash some water on his face, he needed to make sure he hadn't completely lost it. The closest sink was in the nurse's office, but she wasn't at school anymore, it was close to 4 o'clock. Thankfully, Puck had broken the lock last week when he wanted to take a nap instead of going to football. Sam reached out to open the door, but that wasn't his hand. The hand that reached out was dark and smooth, and the nails were carefully decorated with bumblebees. 'No," he thought. 'No way'. He walked towards the back of the office, absolutely petrified to see his reflection. That wasn't him looking back. He was met with black hair, chocolate eyes, and clothes he certainly hadn't put on this morning. Sam blinked at himself, just to make sure. He saw Mercedes Jones in the mirror, blinking back at him.


End file.
